Monday, July 14, 2014

EUROVISION 2015: VIENNA IS NOT GIVING UP - STEP FORWARD NEU MARX

The fight for the right to host the 2015 Eurovision song contest in Austria is turning also a political decision. While ORF seem to favor Innsbruck's OlympiaWorld complex that has the back up by the local Tourist board and regional authorities and Landeschef Günther Platter (ÖVP) has secured the financing. But the mayor of Vienna, Michael Häupl (SPÖ, is having none of that in sight of the elections in 2015. As it seems Wiener Stadthalle is losing as considered outdated and also already booked with events that should be moved elsewhere (at the cost of ORF obviously). Also Graz's offering is considered without any chances at this stage.

Now mayor Häupl is throwing in the Joker and pushing the second choice in Vienna still in the running: a new temporary built hall in Neu Marx. It seems the plans for that existed already way before Conchita's Wurst's win and Austria's rise from the Eurovision ashes like a Phoenix indeed. This multi-purpose hall, the largest in Europe of its kind, would host 15.000 viewers and would be used for other concerts, shows and exhibitions after Eurovision. The press center, delegation areas and the rest would be located to the Rinderhalle (pictured below) next door. Location has also a good trasport services. ORF has a budget of 25 million euros for the Eurovision song contest 2015 and it is obvious Vienna has to put tens of millions of euros for this solution. Will it happen in the election year?

Anyways, the time is running out. ORF should decide on the venue withtin two weeks.....

The poll in Österreich.at website indicates people are indeed in favor for the Neu Marx solution before Innsbruck and the other Vienna bid.... If Neu Marx is chosen, it would be the third especially for Eurovision built venue in four years after Baku and Copenhagen.....